AR M Y P ROGRA M S
Excalibur XM982 Precision Engagement Projectiles
Executive Summary
• Paladin-equipped units in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) have
been using Excalibur since May 2007 to engage targets. As
of October 2009, Field Artillery units have fired more than
76 rounds with reported accuracy better than 10 meters and
88 percent reliability.
• M777A2 Lightweight 155 mm Howitzer-equipped artillery
units have been using Excalibur in Operation Enduring
Freedom (OEF) since February 2008. As of October 2009,
they have fired 38 projectiles with 82 percent reliability.
• Increment Ia-2 has demonstrated its effectiveness in GPS
jamming and unjammed environments. It exhibits lower
reliability at extreme cold and maximum propellant charges.
• The Army expects Excalibur to meet its reliability
requirement before achieving Initial Operational Capability in
September 2010.
System
• Excalibur is a family of precision-guided, 155 mm artillery
projectiles.
• The Army is developing the High Explosive, Unitary
Projectile (Increment I) in three spirals of increasing
capability (Ia-1, Ia-2, and Ib).
• The projectiles are fin-stabilized and glide to their target. The
Ia-1 projectiles use aerodynamic lift generated by canards to
extend range out to 24 km. The Ia-2 and Ib projectiles add
base bleed technology to further increase range to beyond
30 km.
• All variants use GPS and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
to attack point targets with accuracy of less than 20 meters
from the desired aim point.
Activity
Increment Ia-1
• The Army halted fielding of the FY07 production projectiles
to OIF and OEF after a projectile flew back toward the firing
position during a November 2008 Lot Acceptance Test.
• Units in OIF and OEF continued to use Increment Ia-1 rounds
from the FY06 production lots, which were not affected by
the safety problem in the FY07 lots.
• The Army isolated the FY07 lot deficiency to the IMU. The
project manager selected a new IMU vendor and conducted
a Design Verification Test in May 2008 and a Production
Verification Test 2 in July 2009 to qualify the new IMU
vendor and test corrective actions for additional failure
modes.
Mission
• Field Artillery units will use Excalibur to provide fire support
to combat maneuver units in all weather and terrain, including
urban areas.
• Artillery units will use the High Explosive, Unitary Projectile
(Increment I) to attack stationary targets in complex and urban
terrain and to minimize collateral damage.
Prime Contractor
• Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona
• The Army resumed shipment of Increment Ia-1 projectiles to
OIF and OEF in September 2009 following replacement of
IMUs in all FY07 production lots.
• Paladin-equipped units in OIF have been using Excalibur
since May 2007 to engage targets. As of October 2009, Field
Artillery units have fired more than 76 rounds with reported
accuracy better than 10 meters and 88 percent reliability.
• M777A2 Lightweight 155 mm Howitzer-equipped artillery
units have been using Excalibur in OEF since February
2008. As of October 2009, they have fired 38 projectiles with
82 percent reliability.
Excalibur
75
A r m y P ROGRA M S
Increment Ia-2
• In April 2009, the Army fired two Excalibur Increment Ia-2
projectiles at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, in the
Guided-Gunfire 5 test. Both projectiles failed.
• Between April and July 2009, the Army fired
28 Increment Ia‑2 projectiles in the second Sequential
Environmental Test for Performance series at ranges from 9 to
35 km. GPS jamming was present for 26 of the 28 projectiles
and the average miss distance from the aim point was less
than 10 meters. Twenty-one projectiles performed properly
resulting in 70 percent reliability in the test. Representative
light material and plywood roof targets were used to provide
additional data for the lethality evaluation.
• The Army has assessed Increment Ia-2 reliability at 81 percent
following partial demonstration of the corrective actions for
the failure modes common with Increment Ia-1 in the Design
Verification Test and Production Verification Test 2 tests.
• The Army has scheduled additional testing for November and
December 2009 to demonstrate additional corrective actions
and build confidence in the corrective actions applied to
Increment Ia-1.
• The Army postponed the Initial Operational Test until
February 2010 due to a change in test unit and to ensure
85 percent reliability.
Increment Ib
• In September 2008, the Army awarded design and maturation
contracts for full and open competition for Excalibur
Increment Ib to reduce unit cost and improve reliability.
The companies will evolve their proposed concepts then
demonstrate them in a side-by-side live firing event in
2QFY10. The Army will then select a single contractor to
76
Excalibur
move forward with the qualification and initial production of
the Increment 1b projectile.
Assessment
• Fielding Excalibur to artillery units in OIF in 2007 and
OEF units in February 2008 has enhanced their ability to
strike targets precisely while minimizing collateral damage.
Increment Ia-1 has proven effective in combat even with
limitations on its operational employment and less than
required reliability. The new IMU resolved the safety issues
with the FY07 lot.
• In developmental testing, the Excalibur Increment Ia-2
projectile demonstrated effectiveness against personnel, light
material, and structure targets in jammed and unjammed
environments.
• The program has identified reliability problems with Excalibur
Increment Ia-2 in extreme cold (-45 degrees Fahrenheit) and
when using the highest propellant charge (Modular Artillery
Charge System zone 5). The Army expects the projectile to
meet the reliability requirement before achieving its Initial
Operational Capability in September 2010.
Recommendations
• Status of Previous Recommendations. The Army is making
progress on DOT&E’s previous recommendations.
• FY09 Recommendations. The Army should:
1. Assess the operational impacts of Excalibur Increment Ia-2
if it does not achieve the reliability threshold requirements.
2. Continue efforts to improve Excalibur reliability with
Increment Ib.
3. Articulate a credible lethality evaluation.